A Westminster-based company that ran infomercials on local radio stations is accused of bilking customers who were trying to get out of debt, according to a lawsuit the state attorney general had filed.

Attorney General John Suthers said in a statement today that his office is suing Real Talk Network and its officers, David Allen Burke, 42, and Erik Sale, 36, alleging they violated state consumer credit laws.

“The defendants in this case are suspected of using deceptive sales pitches to bilk consumers out of thousands of dollars for services they ultimately never received,” Suthers stated. “At its core, this scam preyed on consumers’ desires for a silver bullet to get out of debt.”

Real Talk Network ran infomercials metro area news-talk station 630 KHOW and Christian talk station 94.7 KRKS, as well as stations in California. The infomercial are presented as a program called “Get Real with Dave,” hosted by company president David Burke, according to the company’s website.

No one answered the phone or returned a message to the the Westminster business office Wednesday, and its calendar of events showed no upcoming Colorado seminars.

The Better Business Bureau gives the Real Talk Network a grade of F, citing 116 complaints filed against company since it began in 2004, “advertising issues” and the companies alleged failure to resolve a pattern of complaints.

Besides telling potential customers the business program could wipe out their current debt in 10 years or less and improve their credit scores, Real Talk promised a 100 percent success rate and a “free” seminar on the program.

The seminars were allegedly opportunities to pressure customers into agreements that cost $1,497 to $3,497, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The company’s website states, “Our primary mission is to help families get out of debt rapidly, using advanced financial techniques. We provide ongoing coaching support to ensure our techniques are understood and provide a lifetime of empowerment.”

The lawsuit, however, alleges, “Consumers who pay the fee or sign up for a monthly payment plan report receiving little to no assistance from financial advisers who have no financial training or experience. Real Talk Network’s purported ‘special relationships’ with various banks did not exist.”

Burke also is accused of misrepresenting himself to would-be customers, claiming to be a graduate of the University of Southern California and failing to disclose that his own bankruptcy filings in 2000 and 2007, according to state prosecutors.

Those who tried to leave the program were turned over to a collection agency, the Attorney General’s Office stated.

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